Well, here it is, Sunday, and I find another weekend getting totally away from me. Why is it there is always so much to do? Can’t even seem to get on the computer to get anything written. But, it’s Sunday and time to prioritize and write my review. Of course, I’m sure by now, all the other great reviewers have probably already made all these same observations but let’s give it a go anyway.
So, did you enjoy last week’s fun, lighthearted Valentine’s episode? Did you enjoy just watching the team kick back and relax and have fun? I did too. Now, welcome back to a Five-0 much closer to the norm.
Other than a few scenes between Danny and his mother Clara, there wasn’t anything lighthearted or funny about this episode. Unlike last week when our team was sitting around on a stake out and reminiscing about bad dates, this episode was packed with action, intrigue, and stunts galore, sprinkled in with a healthy dose of compassion.
We also seem to be back to having two entirely separate story lines going on at the same time with our team split for those stories. And, as it seems more often than not, it’s Danny who’s split from the team. While I totally understand why Danny isn’t in some episodes at all and why he’s apart from the team more than anyone else, I really wish it didn’t have to happen as much as it does. I miss him when he’s not there and I long for him to get his ass back to the office and the team when he’s in an episode but separate from them. But, whatever…. it is what it is.
And I did enjoy watching Danny and Clara attend one of those god-awful timeshare seminars. I actually like Clara, to a certain extent, but I’m really grateful the time-share scenes didn’t take up a ton of time. Not that I didn’t enjoy watching Clara labor-guilt Danny into helping her and him developing a slow burn of annoyance and anger as the day dragged on. I loved how he finally reached his boiling point and blew any chance Clara had for that cruise but there was so much more to this episode, I’m glad that part didn’t take a great deal of time.
The introduction of a new character, Robert Coughlin, into this storyline elevated a cute, nonsensical story into something which seems likely to be the driving force for the remainder of the season. It started off with the FBI grilling Clara over Matt, the money he embezzled and whether she was aware of his whereabouts and if she had contact with him while he was on the run.
But Danny (brilliant detective that he is) soon deduced it had nothing to do with the money and Clara. Clara using a small bit of the money conveniently opened a door for the Feds to have an excuse to go after Five-0. The revelation that it is none other than Abby Dunn herself who’s being tasked to be there the next time Five-0 steps out of line answers the big question we were left with last week.
We now know that what we already suspected is true. Abby was sent to infiltrate Five-0 for a purpose and now we know what that purpose is. The fact that the Fed’s name is Coughlin tells us a lot. He is obviously related to Rex Coughlin, (brother, I’m guessing), the Internal Affairs investigator who had an unreasonable and completely unexplained hatred for Chin. His relentless pursuit of Chin ultimately got him killed via the pen wielding hand of Gabriel. We never found out where Coughlin’s unrelenting motivation to go after Chin came from. It is totally possible that his brother is now picking up where Rex, left off and using Clara as the impetus to go after not only Danny, but Chin and all of Five-0. Maybe, eventually, we will finally find out why Rex, and now Robert, hate Chin (and all of Five-0?) so much.
I also wonder just how high up in the agency Robert Coughin is. This totally smells like a personal vendetta, yet he was able to pull in other investigators to question Clara and Danny and even more disturbing, was able to get the San Francisco Police Department to lend out Abby for this undercover op. No way he did that on his own without approval from his superiors. Just how far up the chain of command does this go?
Of course, Five-0 has authorization from the Governor and the State of Hawaii. They have always relied on and used, (and in many cases over used) their immunity and means. They have also butted heads with the Feds on more than one occasion and come out on top each time. That has to have ruffled more than a few Federal feathers. This story is going to be far reaching and potentially deadly for our beloved team.
Of course, there is also Abby to consider in this mix. It’s more than plainly obvious that she has developed strong feelings for Chin, something she never expected to happen. Her behavior on Valentine’s day shows she isn’t feeling very good about what she’s doing. Hopefully, those feelings will throw a monkey wrench into her plans and she’ll end up helping Five-0 in the end. I really hope so, because I like Abby and Chin deserves some happiness.
Of course, there was also a crime of the week, a fascinating one involving a bank robbery, money laundering and, of course, murder, that revolved around a truly wonderful character named Neil. When I first heard that the episode would have a character who was autistic, I was really curious to see how it would be handled. Personally, I have no experience with autism, so have no point of reference to know whether a show is dealing with it respectfully or not, but to my untrained eye, it looked as though they did a really good job here.
I could be wrong, of course, and I’m not knowledgeable in the proper terminology, but Neil was portrayed as a highly functioning adult, totally capable of taking care of himself to a certain extent and holding down a job. He’s highly intelligent, has a strong sense of responsibility and is wonderfully loyal. I thought his character was extremely well written and acted.
And I really loved how the team, especially Steve, interacted with Neil. They all treated him with the respect and dignity he deserved while going out of their way to make him feel comfortable and safe enough to help them with the investigation. And Neil did more than help. He was instrumental in solving the case of who murdered his best friend and why. Without him, Five-0 would have been at a distinct disadvantage. Neil was awesome.
From the moment Steve met Neil and noticed he was interested in the space program (and deduced that he was Neil Armstrong’s namesake), it was wonderful to watch their interactions. Steve was patient and kind and helped Neil open up so he could tell him what he needed to know to find out who killed Neil’s best and only friend. I really wish we could have seen even more of the interaction between Neil and Steve. It was wonderful to see a tweet from Peter Lenkov saying there will be more footage of these two included in the Season 6 DVD. I’m really looking forward to seeing that.
Of course, the moment the words “94 million dollars” were uttered, it was obvious who was going to be behind it all. Gabriel Waincroft. Not that it was a surprise, he keeps coming back like a belch from a bad onion. We’ve been longing for a full on Five-0 action sequence for a while now and this one did not disappoint. From the shootout with Gabriel’s men, with Kono taking one hell of a sniper shot to save Lou’s ass, to the brawl between Chin and Gabriel, this sequence was spectacular from start to finish. I don’t think we’ve seen a hand-to-hand like that since Steve and WoFat went at it in the 100th episode. Kudos to Daniel Dae Kim and Christopher Sean, the stunt crew, and Jeff Cadiente for going over and above on this one.
Gabriel sailing through the air and crashing into the roof of a car was another spectacular stunt and for one brief second I held my breath. No…. Gabriel can’t be dead. I love that guy. Well, I love to hate that guy. He’s just too deliciously evil to be dead so soon. Of course, this is Five-0 so suspension of believe isn’t anything new, so when the team finally got down to ground level and saw that Gabriel was gone I had to laugh. I mean, seriously? If you really watch how he landed, he didn’t hit his head, but he landed right on his lower back. There is no way in hell he didn’t break several bones and do serious damage to his back. How the hell did he walk away (or was he perhaps carried away by someone else?) from that??? Behold, Gabriel the phoenix!
Will all of this end up being connected? Well, if you think about it, that money Matt embezzled from his clients way back in Season 1 has had a very long reach.
That money was, among other things, laundered through the cartel then added to by what Matt stole from Reyes. The incidences revolving around that money include Steve lying to the FBI, Danny letting Matt escape and then his subsequent murder of Reyes. It also includes the money Chin got from Gabriel to try to help Danny ransom Matt and Gabriel’s relocation to better prison digs because of it. Coughlin’s “deal” with Gabriel and Gabriel’s subsequent murder of Coughlin.
If Robert was looking for probable cause to go to his superiors and start an investigation, there is more than enough there. Steve for lying and letting Matt escape. Danny for letting Matt escape and for killing Reyes. Chin for taking money from a known drug lord and doing that drug lord a favor by getting him a better prison deal. There is also the fact that Coughlin was murdered by said drug lord. Then there is the money Matt left in an account for Clara. Oh.. yes… lots of things the FBI could be looking at. There is also the personal connection with this new Coughlin which will muddy the waters even more.
Matt set an awful lot into motion way back in Season 1 and the consequences are still being felt now. So…yeah… drama is coming… for sure! I just can’t wait to see how this all plays out! We’re in for a wild ride to the end of the season and I get the feeling this story will reach into Season 7 (God willing) as well.
Have a wonderful week, my friends. Aloha. Malama Pono.
Some screen caps this week are mine and some are courtesy of CBS.
Hawaii Five-0 Kool-Aid 
It was a really good episode this week. I had to laugh at Danny and Clara they were so funny. But it sure turned ominous at the end. I’m sure we’ll see more about this during the rest of the season.
The COTW was very good. Loved the interaction between Steve and Neil. I knew there was no way Gabriel was dead it was too soon. He has more bad things he needs to do. We still don’t know what he wanted from Adam.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s one thing that’s amazing about Steve. He has such a wonderful heart and soul, especially after all he’s been though in his life. It’s just so wonderful to see.
LikeLike
Neil reminded me so much of Giovanni Ribisi but not related. He did such a good job. These characters when done well, as so many do, really make the show for me. Each week we get a new story so I really appreciate the talent level H50 lands. Guessing not many actors would say no to 2 weeks in paradise for “work”. Great review Linda and thanks for the screen caps.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s the guest actors who bring about all these wonderful characters which elevates this show above the average police procedural, in my opinion! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another great review- haven’t thanked you in a while for all the time and effort – thank you! They certainly switched it up again this week- acton, COTW and what appears to be another complex story in the making. I have to wonder about the FBI & CIA …Sometimes it seems like they have nothing better to do that harass or make life difficult for 50. Don’t they have enough really bad guys to deal with….?
And much as I love Danny and I know he loves his mom – Clara can be a total hair head – why would she not say anything about the bank account or tell Danny – oh of course he’s a really good detective and he’d know it was just sitting there as bait and make her give it up. I was a bit irritated with the whole thing. At least he’s got Steve ready to be there at his side even when he’s in the middle of a case. I too miss it when they’re not together – i imagine they do too. Looks like next week is a off week for Scott, so another little stretch without the boys. Sad. It was nice to see Steve’s softer side again this week – I too am looking forward to the extra footage with Neil. Meanwhile Chin got the fight scene …..and Kono saved Lou’s ass. Loved it!
Lots of the red stuff on top of that car so we know Gabriel is hurt though I agree that someone must have carried him off. ……God guys, bad guys, feds…..who know!!! Abby being a plant kinda reminds me of Lori who ended up not willing to do what she was sent there for……..I see this going the same way. She’s not going to want to be part of a vendetta Overall loved to see them back to action stuff.
Belated happy birthday Linda – hope you got a little time to celebrate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel for Clara. I mean, as a mother, how hard would that be to be put into a position where you have to decide whether to report your child to the authorities? I’d like to think I’d do the right thing but how do I know how I’d react in that situation? That’s her baby. And she’s 100% right. If she had told Danny, he WOULD have made her turn him in. Yeah….she’s a bit of an air head but I do feel for her in that situation.
And….thanks for the birthday wishes! It was a good one! ♥
LikeLike
I loved the episode. That fight was done without ant spoken word. Since we didn’t see all of the interrgation, I wonder who was leading who down the garden path or did agent really slip up. sorry for spelling.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Linda, thanks for your wonderfull review. Liked the Steve/Neil story a lot. Wonder how someone like Gabriel, injured, got away ? Still a lot of storylines to continue, waiting anxiously for next episodes. And hoping for season 7 to come. Mahalo and hugs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m willing to bet someone helped Gabriel get away. I can’t see how on earth he could have done it himself after that fall. But with this show… you never know! LOL
LikeLike
Your reviews are never too late, Linda! You always have a slightly different take that adds some new insight into each episode!
Needless to say, I ADORED this episode! All of it, even Danny and Mama. I have to admit I’ve sat in on a timeshare presentation (no free cruise tickets offered, though!) and that sleazy salesman was right on the money – give that actor an Emmy! LOL! I heard people on Twitter going “ewwww…posing as his mother’s husband is just nasty….” At least they mentioned his dad not being able to make it at the last minute. Danny will do anything for his family, as he has proven over and over again, and if his mother wants him to play the part, he would be willing to give it a shot. Up to a point, obviously. When the sleaze ball salesman started hitting on Clara, Danny had enough! I’m surprised he didn’t pull out his badge and threaten a Five-0 investigation into the timeshare company’s business practices!
Loved the COTW this time around. Neil was such a sweet character, and brought out such a caring, considerate side of Steve and actually the whole team involved in the case. For a really great Live Journal review of the authenticity of Neil as an autistic adult and the considerate way Neil was treated by Steve and Kono, check out @NYsportsfan2015’s well-written entry which can be found on Twitter. The Gabriel twist was actually perfect (at least for me – I noticed a lot of comments on Twitter about just wanting to finish him off!) Gabriel is involved in every major scheme to rebuild his finances and build a crime syndicate empire. I think he’s just as sick and tired of Five-0 as they are of him – always being deprived of success by the team’s intervention. I thought he was done in after that fall onto the hood of the car, but short of a possible broken pelvis or tailbone, he managed to survive…again! Hey, we’ve still got 9 more episodes this season – he can’t die yet, I guess!🤔
And let’s face it — we wouldn’t want another carbon copy of Wo Fat! He was too unique! Gabriel is just a sadistic, sociopathic hood. He is a completely different type of arch villain, but, at least for me, he’s just as entertaining in his own way. OMG that fight scene is one for the record books!
Now we get to what I imagine, like you, Linda, will be the big story for the rest of this season – Abby and the Undercover investigation. We all knew she was undercover, but now we know for sure it’s the Justice Dept. Ingo Rademacher’s Coughlin is a federal prosecutor, hence the Justice Dept., with the FBI being pulled in to do the investigating. Since we know this show so well, WE know this is the son or brother of our very own, loved to hate, IA Rex Coughlin who had it in for Chin (we never really found out why he was so obsessed with bringing down Chin, either). WE can easily surmise that the real reason this new Coughlin is investigating Five-0 is retribution or revenge for Rex Coughlin’s death. A LOT more will come of this in the next 9 episodes (shout out to Danny for figuring out that the whole interrogation into Matt’s money was just a ruse to get him to talk about Five-0. Whether you think the detective is shallow, claustrophobic, a rotten friend, or just plain annoying, he is the one who reads people the best! If he only knew it was Abby standing behind that mirror!
BTW, Linda – everything I said about needing to get back to some action and real drama was certainly taken care of with this episode. Looks like more of same is still to come! Oh, how I love spring time in Hawaii! LOL!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow…fantastic comment Lynnette and I agree with absolutely all of it. I agree….except for the fact that this time of year means we’re heading into the home stretch to the end of the season…it’s my favorite part of every season. Because so much heats up and sets things up for the season finale and, usually, the next season’s premiere. I can’t wait to see where this is all going.
BTW…. for anyone interested in @NYsportsfan2015 review which Lynnette mentioned about… here is the link: http://vb2014.livejournal.com/2369.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is the 5-0 I fell in love with. A good COTW, a storyline that flowed, action, kicka$$ Kono, the team working together. Of course seeing the softer sides of both Steve and Kono and their interaction with Neil made it extra special. Like you, I can handle Clara in small doses so this was perfect and it’s fun to watch her bring out the best and worst in Danny (like all of us with our mothers)!
Abby. I’m sure she had no intentions of falling for Chin. But, like Lori, Catherine, even Jenna, she made her bed… I can’t really seeing her staying on after this betrayal. Would you ever be able to trust someone like that again? It’s not like, honey I lied to you when I bought that (fill in the blank) cause I didn’t want to hear you. This is serious stuff. She’s being paid to bring not only him down, but the entire team and ruin them.
What I don’t understand is why this Robert is going after 50 when is was Gabriel who killed his brother. You call Gabriel a Phoenix I call him a cat. and I hope he’s on his ninth life because this vendetta has gone on long enough. Seriously, does he have everyone except 50 on his payroll?? And how he was able to escape after that fall just suspends beief. Hopefully this will be the plot that wraps up a lot of loose ends and finally leaves our team in peace. Boring but beautiful!
Thanks for the great review and all the stills!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think Robert is going after Five-0 ONLY because of Rex. I think that’s a big part of it but I do believe that whatever it was that made Rex go after Chin is still in play. We never found out why he had such a hatred for Chin. I’m willing to bet Robert shares that.
Add to that the fact that Five-0 DOES go over the line… a lot… I can see someone with an axe to grind going after them and using that fact to try to nail them..
There is also the fact that Gabriel wouldn’t have killed Rex IF Rex hadn’t tried to use Gabriel to get at Chin. And Rex wouldn’t have used Gabriel IF Chin hadn’t made the deal with Gabriel to get the money to help Danny ransom Matt. So in a twisted, deluded mind, Robert could see that it’s Chin’s fault, as well as Danny’s, that Rex was in the position for Gabriel to kill him. Did that make sense?? LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, actually it did make sense! Sounds like a case of very misguided priorities!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fantastic review! This episode was nonstop action from the start! Just when we get answers,here comes more questions-what is Loughlin’s vendetta against Chin about and why is Abby involved? Neil was a great asset to the team,would like to see him again if the situation presents itself. Danny & Clara were rather funny,but I can only imagine what he would have said & thought if he had known Abby was behind that dark glass!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like you, Linda, I like to see Danny with the rest of the team and especially with Steve. Those guys bounce off of each other so well. But I did like seeing Danno with his mom. She really knows how to get to him. Steve and Kono’s interactions with Neil were just heartwarming. I see people on facebook saying they are sick of Gabriel and I kind of get tired of him too but I don’t hate the episodes he’s in. And it seems to me that there is always a reason for whatever they do on H50. It is always leading to something bigger than any of us expect and it looks like now that is starting to happen. Between Gabriel and Abby, I think the 50 team has some big trouble coming their way. Only two more episodes without Danny and next week will probably be one of them. And from what I have seen of my fanpages, Alex and Scott have been together a lot this week. They have been at Eagan’s gym and I recently read an interview that Alex did for an Austrailian newspaper and he said that Scott wants to be there more than anybody. That made me very happy. If taking off 5 episodes a year keeps him around, I’m all for it. I really like Abby and I want to believe that she went into the job planning to take the team down and she developed feelings for Chin in the process. I’m getting very excited. I think we’re in for a wild ride. All these things that happened the first half of the year are going to come back and haunt the team. I wonder if what Lou did in Chicago will come back at him. That may have been the reason for that episode. Peter always has a plan. We just have to wait to see what it is. The only problem with that is it makes the time between episodes seem so much longer. Thanks for your time, Linda. You do a great job and make it even more fun. I’m glad for the opportunity to discuss the episodes and give our honest opinions without just outright trashing anybody on the show. I hate when I see people on facebook saying they should get rid of a character and kill them off. They are talking about someone’s job.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I totally agree about the time Scott is away from the show. I hate it when he’s not there and when Danny IS there but apart from the team, especially Steve, but I completely understand the reasons for it and, like you, am happy TPTB and Scott have come up with this compromise. I’d rather have him in 5 less episodes then not on the show at all.
I’m glad you feel you can speak your mind here, since that was always my intention. Like you I hate it when people trash the show and especially when they trash an actor. I will repeat what I have said before. If a certain “fans” can do nothing but hate on a show, do nothing but find fault in everything they see, even to the extent of finding fault with their favorite character/actor because he’s not written the way THEY want him written, then stop watching the damn show. I’m sure the 8+ million people who DO watch this show every week won’t miss the 10 of you at all.
LikeLike
I don’t think Abby was ever San Francisco PD, I think she was FBI or whatever and using that as a cover. It was a great show. Noticed the ratings are sky high for the past few episodes and the ratings shark is saying it will be renewed. This interaction and showing the softer sides of the team I think are making it a better show. Truly loved the action and agree Jeff Cadiente did one hell of a job on the fight scenes. That scene where Grover said ‘I love you” to Kono for taking that guy out was great.
The agent I recognized and had to search out he played Jax on General Hospital for years – Ingo Rademacher. Nice to see Scott get his black belt and now Alex is a purple belt.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know Deb…. I tend to think Abby was SFPD for the mere fact that I believe the Governor’s office and especially Steve would have checked out her credentials and checked her references before they would allow her full access to Five-0 and, especially, their computer mainframe. If the writers overlooked that fact and she was let in without being thoroughly vetted I will be very disappointed in them.
LikeLike
Great review, Linda! Like everyone else, I love the fun stuff we’ve been treated to but I love the action and procedural cases, too. And what great action we got with this ep!
I’m kinda done with Gabriel. He’s one dimensional. A thug with big balls. I miss Wo Fat, who was just as evil, but who was more complicated. His connection with Doris and his impact on the McGarrett family was psychotic but really riveting. But maybe we’ll learn more about Gabriel soon. I agree that the team needs a nemesis.
The Coughlin plot is intriguing. I like it when our team is in hot water, like when they stole the money for Chin’s ransom. Steve hasn’t been scolded by the governor in a long time — he’s overdue!
Speaking of Steve, I think he needs to put Odell on speed dial. I love when they allow his gorgeous salt and pepper hair to show through — so sexy! But the gray chin hairs are just making him look old. Put him back in those muscle-revealing tee shirts and let the testosterone fill the air! 🙂
By the way, I had trouble posting, so if this shows up twice……sorry!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s so funny how different people see the same thing… differently! I agree, WoFat was awesome but I don’t understand why people see Gabriel as being one dimensional. To me, WoFat was more one dimensional in the fact that his story was completely wrapped around Steve and the McGarrett family alone. Gabriel, on the other hand, is involved in the life of Chin, Kono and Adam, Danny, Coughlin, Abby, and Steve.
I suppose it could be that Gabriel is seen as a scowling street thug while WoFat was seen as a suave international villain. I can understand that. We’ve very rarely get to see Gabriel except when he’s in the middle of some mischief looking menacing. I look forward to learning more about him, about his years in South America as the leader of the cartel. He is not an unintelligent man, if he was able to run an organization like that. I agree, we need to learn more about him and see him in scenes where he’s not acting the thug.
As to Alex and his grays? I love them. The man is going to be 40 years old this year. There is nothing wrong with him looking his age, especially when he looks so hot doing it. I think it looks more ridiculous when they have his hair so black it looks fake. I’ll take the natural, distinguished gray any day! ♥
LikeLike
Yes, I’m hoping there is more to Gabriel’s story. You’re right, he’s smart and evil. I’d just like to see him do something more than kill people.
Please don’t misunderstand — I love the gray in Steve’s hair. As I said, it’s very sexy. Nothing turns my head faster than a man with silver mixed in with the dark. I just think the gray chin hairs are looking more scruffy than sexy. But I’ll take him (the other guys) any way I can get them! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL I hear that! Me too! ♥
LikeLike